Reinforcing steel bar typing machine

ABSTRACT

A front end of a ball screw shaft driven by a motor is connected with a binding line clamp apparatus ( 513 ) including three clamp plates ( 514, 515, 516 ). The left and right clamp plates ( 515, 516 ) are constituted to be brought into elastic contact with the center clamp plate ( 515 ) and close the left and right clamp plates by operation of cams ( 527, 528 ) when a sleeve is moved rearward. In a state of opening the clamp plates, a binding line is fed out to an upper side by passing through an interval between the right clamp plate ( 515 ) and the center clamp plate ( 514 ), formed in a loop shape and moved into an interval between the left clamp plate ( 516 ) and the center clamp plate ( 517 ). When the sleeve is moved rearward by driving to rotate a ball screw shaft, the left and right clamp plates are closed to grasp a front end and a rear end of the binding line loop and thereafter, the binding line clamp apparatus is rotated to twist the binding line to bind a reinforcing bar.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a reinforcing bar binder and a graspmechanism of a binding line in a reinforcing bar binder. Particularly,the invention relates to a binding line clamp apparatus of a reinforcingbar binder constituted to grasp an end portion of a binding line totwist, a reinforcing bar binder constituted to pertinently control alength of a binding line in accordance with a reinforcing bar diameterand a reinforcing bar binder reducing an amount of consuming a bindingline.

BACKGROUND ART

A reinforcing bar binder is comprising a binding line feed mechanism forfeeding out a binding line of a wire or the like wound around a reel tobe wound around a reinforcing bar, and a binding line twist mechanismfor twisting the binding line wound around the reinforcing bar to bind,and the binding line feed mechanism and the binding line twist mechanismare successively operated by trigger operation to carry out bindingoperation of 1 cycle.

When a circular arc shape nose of the reinforcing bar binder is hungaround the reinforcing bar and a trigger lever is pulled, the bindingline is fed out around an inner peripheral face of a nose by the bindingline feed mechanism to form a biding line loop at a surrounding of thereinforcing bar, a rear end of the binding line loop is cut by a cuttermechanism, a pair of hook type hooks of the binding line twist mechanismare closed to grasp the binding line loop to thereafter rotate and thebinding line loop is twisted to bind the reinforcing bar.

The reinforcing bar binder of a prior art is constituted to turn thebinding line around the reinforcing bar by two rotations or more andcatch a middle portion of the binding line loop remote from a front endand a rear end thereof by the pair of hooks and this is because whenportions of the binding line at a vicinity of the front end or the rearend is caught, in rotating the hooks, the front end or the rear end isdrawn out from the hooks to disengage the loop and binding cannot becarried out. Therefore, lengths of both end portions of the binding lineextended from the portion grasped and twisted by the hooks areprolonged, the portions are projected at the surrounding of thereinforcing bar to bring about a drawback that the binding line isprojected from a surface of concrete when concrete is cast and also anamount of consuming the binding line is large.

Further, the reinforcing bar binder of the prior art poses a problemthat the amount of consuming the binding line is large since the bindingline is turned around the reinforcing bar by two rotation or more andthe length of the binding line to be fed out is constant regardless ofthe diameter of the reinforcing bar. Further, when the diameter of thereinforcing bar is small, an amount of twisting the binding line isincreased, a long time period required for twisting is taken, thebinding line cannot sufficiently be tightened and a restraining forcemay become insufficient. Further, since the length of the twistedportion is long, when concrete is cast, the binding line may beprojected from the surface of the concrete to thereby cause a problem infinishing.

Further, according to the reinforcing bar binder of the prior art, whenthe nose in the circular arc shape of the reinforcing bar binder is hungto the reinforcing bar and the trigger lever is pulled, the binding lineis fed out along a guide groove of an inner peripheral face of the noseby the binding line feed mechanism. The nose is provided with a formingportion opposed to the guide groove, the binding line is brought intocontact with the forming portion when moving forward along the guidegroove to curl to thereby form a loop around the surrounding of thereinforcing bar. Further, the binding line is cut by a binding line cutapparatus at a front end portion of the nose, the pair of hook typehooks of the binding line twist mechanism are closed to grub the bindingline loop to thereafter rotate and twist the binding line loop to bindthe reinforcing bar.

According to the reinforcing bar binder of the prior art, since thebinding line is fed out bypassing an interval between the guide grooveof the nose and the forming portion opposed to the guide groove, whenthe binding line cut apparatus is not arranged at the vicinities of thebinding line twist mechanism and the forming portion, the binding lineloop cannot be twisted by constituting a hindrance by the formingportion disposed on an inner side of the binding line loop. Further,when the binding line cut apparatus is arranged at the vicinity of theforming portion, since the binding line cut apparatus is disposed at aposition remote from the binding line twist mechanism, an extra portionfrom a point of grasping the binding line to a terminal end portion ofthe loop is long, further, since the binding line needs to be woundaround the reinforcing bar by two turns or more, there poses a problemthat the amount of consuming the binding line is large and an outlookthereof in finishing to bind is poor. Further, even when the bindingline cut apparatus is arranged at the vicinity of the forming portion,there is a case in which the binding line is caught by the fixed formingportion in twisting the binding line to give an unpleasant feeling to anoperator.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

Hence, there poses a technical problem to be resolved in order toimprove binding finish by reducing extra portions projected from a twistportion of a binding line as less as possible and it is a first objectof the invention to resolve the above-described problem.

Further, there poses a technical problem to be resolved in order topromote binding finish by pertinently controlling a length of a bindingline in accordance with a diameter of a reinforcing bar and reduce awasteful portion of a binding line and it is a second object of theinvention to resolve the above-described problem.

Further, there poses a technical problem to be resolved in order toreduce an amount of consuming a binding line and carry out excellentbinding operation in a reinforcing bar binder and it is a third objectof the invention to resolve the above-described problem.

The invention is proposed to achieve the above-described objects andwith regard to the first object, there is proposed a binding line clampapparatus of a reinforcing bar binder which is a binding line graspmechanism for grasping and twisting a loop of a binding line fed out toa surrounding of a reinforcing bar by a binding line feed mechanism in areinforcing bar binder, constituted such that a sleeve is outwardlymounted to a center clamp plate and clamp plates arranged on both leftand right sides thereof, the left and right clamp plates are broughtinto elastic contact with the center clamp plate by respectivelyinterposing springs therebetween, a pair of cam mechanisms by cams andguide pins are provided to the sleeve and the left and right clampplates and the left and right clamp plates are expanded in accordancewith forward movement or rearward movement of the sleeve, andconstituted such that the feeding line is fed out by passing through aninterval between the center clamp plate and one of the clamp plates by abinding line feed mechanism, a front end of the binding line formed inthe loop shape is introduced between the center clamp plate and other ofthe clamp plates and thereafter, the left and right clamp plates areclosed to grasp the binding line.

Further, with regard to the second object, the invention proposes areinforcing bar binder which is an electric type reinforcing bar binderincluding a binding line feed mechanism for feeding out a binding linein a loop shape to be wound around a reinforcing bar and a binding linetwist mechanism for grasping the binding line wound around thereinforcing bar by grasping means of a hook or the like and twisting thebinding line by driving to rotate the grasping means to bind thereinforcing bar, constituted such that the grasping means is constitutedby a center clamp plate and an opening and closing type clamp platesarranged on both left and right sides thereof, the binding line fed outby the binding line feed mechanism is made to pass through an intervalbetween the center clamp plate and either one of the left and rightclamp plates, a front end of the loop of the binding line fed outthereby is introduced into an interval between the center clamp plateand other of the clamp plates and thereafter, the left and right clampplates are closed to grasp the loop of the binding line.

Further, there is provided the reinforcing bar binder constituted suchthat after grasping the front end of the loop of the binding line byclosing the clamp plate on a side of grasping the front end of the loopof the binding line, the binding line is pulled back by reverselydriving to rotate the binding line feed mechanism and a length of theloop of the binding line is adjusted in accordance with a diameter ofthe reinforcing bar.

Further, there is provided the reinforcing bar binder, wherein the leftand right clamp plates are formed with inclined face portions orprojected portion brought into contact with an upper end face or a lowerend face of the center clamp plate in clamping the binding line tothereby bend to deform the binding line in clamping the binding line.

Further, with regard to the first object, the invention provides abinding line clamp apparatus of a reinforcing bar binder which is abinding line grasp mechanism for grasping and twisting a loop of abinding line fed out to a surrounding of a reinforcing bar by a bindingline feed mechanism in a reinforcing bar binder, constituted such that asleeve is outwardly mounted to a center clamp plate and clamp platesarranged on both left and right sides thereof, the left and right clampplates and the sleeve are connected by a pair of left and right cammechanisms by groove cams and guide pins, the left and right clampplates are formed to open and close in cooperation with frontwardmovement and rearward movement of the sleeve, the binding line is fedout to a guide groove formed at a nose by passing through an intervalbetween the center clamp plate and one of the clamp plates by thebinding line feed mechanism, a front end of the loop of the binding lineis introduced between the center clamp plate and other of the clampplates and thereafter, the left and right clamp plates are closed tograsp the binding line.

Further, there is provided the binding line clamp apparatus of areinforcing bar binder constituted such that phases of the pair of leftand right groove cams formed at the left and right clamp plates or thesleeve are shifted from each other and after one of the clamp platesgrasps a front end of the loop of the binding line, other of the clampplates grasps a rear end of the loop of the binding line.

Further, with regard to the first object, the invention provides abinding line clamp apparatus of a reinforcing bar binder which is abinding line grasp mechanism for grasping and twisting a loop of abinding line fed out to a surrounding of a reinforcing bar by a bindingline feed mechanism in a reinforcing bar binder, constituted such that asleeve is outwardly mounted to a center clamp plate and clamp platesarranged on both left and right sides thereof, the left and right clampplates and the sleeve are connected by a pair of left and right cammechanisms by groove cams and guide pins, the left and right clampplates are formed to open and close in cooperation with frontwardmovement and rearward movement of the sleeve, the binding line is fedout to a guide groove of a circular arc shape nose by passing through aninterval between the center clamp plate and either one of the left andright clamp plates by the binding line feed mechanism, a front end of aloop of the binding line is introduced between the center clamp plateand other of the clamp plates and thereafter, the left and right clampplates are closed to grasp the binding line, and constituted such thatan upper portion of a face of grasping the binding line of the rightclamp plate or the left clamp plate grasping the front end of thebinding line is formed with a stopper portion projected in a centerdirection and the front end of the binding line impinges on the stopperportion to stop.

Further, there is provided the binding line clamp apparatus of areinforcing bar binder, wherein the face of grasping the binding line ofthe clamp plate on a side of feeding out the binding line is providedwith a guide groove for feeding out the binding line.

Further, with regard to the third object, the invention provides areinforcing bar binder which is a reinforcing bar binder including abinding line feed mechanism for feeding out a binding line along a guidegroove at an inner periphery of a nose to wind around the reinforcingbar, a binding line grasp mechanism for grasping the binding line woundaround the reinforcing bar, and a binding line twist mechanism fortwisting the binding line to bind the reinforcing bar by driving torotate the binding line grasp mechanism, wherein a guide plate for beingbrought into contact with the binding lie fed along the guide grove bythe binding line feed mechanism to curl is provided and the guide plateis formed movably to a position opposed to the guide groove and aposition separated from the guide groove.

Further, there is provided the reinforcing bar binder characterized inbeing constituted such that the guide plate is made to be opposed to theguide groove and the binding line brought into contact with the guideplate is curled in a step of feeding out the binding line, the guideplate is escaped to the position separated from the guide groove afterthe step of feeding out the binding line and the binding line is pulledback by reversely driving to rotate the binding line feed mechanism anda length of the binding line is controlled in accordance with a diameterof the reinforcing bar.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a disassembled plane view of a binding line clamp apparatus ofa reinforcing bar binder showing an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a disassembled side view of the bind line clamp apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the three pieces of clamp plates.

FIG. 4( a) through FIG. 4( c) show an initial state of the binding lineclamp apparatus, FIG. 4( a) is a plane sectional view, FIG. 4( b) is afront sectional view and FIG. 4( c) is a side sectional view.

FIG. 5( a) through FIG. 5( c) show a step of grasping a front end of abinding line of the binding line clamp apparatus, FIG. 5( a) is a planesectional view, FIG. 5( b) is a front sectional view and FIG. 5( c) is aside sectional view.

FIG. 6( a) through FIG. 6( c) show a step of grasping a rear end of thebinding line of the binding line clamp apparatus, FIG. 6( a) is a planesectional view, FIG. 6( b) is a front sectional view and FIG. 6( c) is aside sectional view.

FIG. 7( a) and FIG. 7( b) show a step of feeding the binding line of thereinforcing bar binder, FIG. 7( a) is a plane view of a binding lineguide apparatus and FIG. 7( b) is a side view of the reinforcing barbinder.

FIG. 8( a) and FIG. 8( b) show a step of pulling back the binding lineof the reinforcing bar binder, FIG. 8( a) is a plane view of the bindingline guide apparatus and FIG. 8( b) is a side view of the reinforcingbar binder.

FIG. 9( a) and FIG. 9( b) show a step of grasping the rear end of thebinding line of the reinforcing bar binder, FIG. 9( a) is a plane viewof the binding line guide apparatus and FIG. 9( b) is the side view ofthe reinforcing bar binder.

FIG. 10( a) and FIG. 10( b) show a step of cutting the binding line ofthe reinforcing bar binder, FIG. 10( a) is a plane view of the bindingline guide apparatus and FIG. 10( b) is a side view of the reinforcingbar binder.

FIG. 11( a) and FIG. 11( b) show a step of twisting the binding line ofthe reinforcing bar binder, FIG. 11( a) is a plane view of the bindingline guide apparatus and FIG. 11( b) is a side view of the reinforcingbar binder.

FIG. 12( a) and FIG. 12( b) show a step of twisting the binding line ofthe reinforcing bar binder, FIG. 12( a) is a plane view of the bindingguide apparatus and FIG. 12( b) is a side view of the reinforcing barbinder.

FIG. 13( a) and FIG. 13( b) show a step of releasing the binding line ofthe reinforcing bar binder, FIG. 13( a) is a plane view of the bindingline guide apparatus and FIG. 13( b) is a side view of the reinforcingbar binder.

FIG. 14 is a disassembled plane view showing other embodiment of abinding line clamp apparatus.

FIG. 15 is a plane sectional view showing the other embodiment of thebinding line clamp apparatus.

FIG. 16 is a side view of constituent parts of the binding line clampapparatus of FIG. 14.

FIG. 17 is a plane sectional view of the binding line clamp apparatus ofFIG. 14.

FIG. 18 is a side sectional view of a mechanism portion of a reinforcingbar binder.

FIG. 19 is a disassembled plane view of a binding line clamp apparatusaccording to the invention.

FIG. 20 is a disassembled side view of the binding line clamp apparatusaccording to the invention.

FIG. 21 is a disassembled front view of the binding line clamp apparatusaccording to the invention.

FIG. 22( a) through FIG. 22( c) show the binding line clamp apparatus inan initial state, FIG. 22( a) is a plane view, FIG. 22( b) is a frontview and FIG. 22( c) is a side sectional view.

FIG. 23( a) through FIG. 23( c) show the binding line clamp apparatus ina clamp state, FIG. 23( a) is a plane view, FIG. 23( b) is a front viewand FIG. 23( c) is a side sectional view.

FIG. 24 is a front explanatory view showing an arrangement of a bindingline feed mechanism.

FIG. 25( a) and FIG. 25( b) show a binding line clamp apparatus in aninitial state, FIG. 25( a) is a front view and FIG. 25( b) is a sidesectional view.

FIG. 26( a) and FIG. 26( b) show the binding line clamp apparatus in astep of feeding the binding line, FIG. 26( a) is a front view and FIG.26( b) is a side sectional view.

FIG. 27( a) and FIG. 27( b) show the binding line clamp apparatus in astep of pulling back the binding line, FIG. 27( a) is a front view andFIG. 27( b) is a side sectional view.

FIG. 28( a) and FIG. 28( b) show the binding line clamp apparatus in astep of grasping the binding line, FIG. 28( a) is a front view and FIG.28( b) is a side sectional view.

FIG. 29( a) and FIG. 29( b) show the binding line clamp apparatus in astep of cutting the binding line, FIG. 29( a) is a front view and FIG.29( b) is a side sectional view.

FIG. 30( a) and FIG. 30( b) show the binding line clamp apparatus in astep of twisting the binding line, FIG. 30( a) is a front view and FIG.30( b) is a side sectional view.

FIG. 31( a) and FIG. 31( b) show the binding line clamp apparatus in astate of finishing to twist the binding line, FIG. 31( a) is a frontview and FIG. 31( b) is a side sectional view.

FIG. 32( a) and FIG. 32( b) show the binding line clamp apparatus in astep of releasing clamp plates, FIG. 32( a) is a front view and FIG. 32(b) is a side sectional view.

FIG. 33( a) and FIG. 33( b) show an embodiment of the invention, FIG.33( a) is a plane view of a binding line guide apparatus and FIG. 33( b)is a side view of a mechanism portion of a reinforcing bar binder.

FIG. 34( a) and FIG. 34( b) show a step of pulling back the binding lineof the reinforcing bar binder, FIG. 34( a) is a plane view of thebinding line guide apparatus and FIG. 34( b) is a side view of thereinforcing bar binder.

FIG. 35 is a disassembled plane view of a binding line clamp apparatus.

FIG. 36 is a disassembled side view of the binding line clamp apparatus.

FIG. 37 is a front view of three pieces of clamp plates.

FIG. 38( a) through FIG. 38( c) show an initial state of the bindingline clamp apparatus, FIG. 38( a) is a plane sectional view, FIG. 38( b)is a front sectional view and FIG. 38( c) is a side sectional view.

FIG. 39( a) through FIG. 39(C) show a step of grasping a front end ofthe binding line of the binding line clamp apparatus, FIG. 39( a) is aplane sectional view, FIG. 39( b) is a front sectional view and FIG. 39(c) is a side sectional view.

FIG. 40( a) through FIG. 40( c) show a step of grasping a rear end ofthe binding line of the binding line clamp apparatus, FIG. 40( a) is aplane sectional view, FIG. 40( b) is a front sectional view and FIG. 40(c) is a side sectional view.

FIG. 41( a) and FIG. 41( b) show a step of grasping the rear end of thebinding line of the reinforcing bar binder, FIG. 41( a) is a plane viewof a blind line guide apparatus and FIG. 41( b) is a side view of thereinforcing bar binder.

FIG. 42( a) and FIG. 42( b) show a step of cutting the binding line ofthe reinforcing bar binder, FIG. 42( a) is a plane view of the bindingline guide apparatus and FIG. 42( b) is a side view of the reinforcingbar binder.

FIG. 43( a) and FIG. 43( b) show a step of twisting the binding line ofthe reinforcing bar binder, FIG. 43( a) is a plane view of the bindingline guide apparatus and FIG. 43( b) is a side view of the reinforcingbar binder.

FIG. 44( a) and FIG. 44( b) show a step of twisting the binding line ofthe reinforcing bar binder, FIG. 44( a) is a plane view of the bindingline guide apparatus and FIG. 44( b) is a side view of the reinforcingbar binder.

FIG. 45( a) and FIG. 45( b) show a step of releasing the biding line ofthe reinforcing bar binder, FIG. 45( a) is a plane view of the bindingline guide apparatus and FIG. 45( b) is a side view of the reinforcingbar binder.

Note that in the drawings, numeral 1 designates a binding line clampapparatus, numeral 2 designates a center clamp plate, numeral 3designates a right clamp plate, numeral 4 designates a left clamp plate,numeral 5 designates a sleeve, numerals 9, 10 designate groove cams,numerals 11, 12 designate guide pins, numeral 13 designates a ball screwshaft, numeral 14 designates a stopper portion, numeral 18 designates ashifter plate, numeral 19 designates a binding line cut apparatus,numeral 20 designates a binding line guide apparatus, numeral 501designates a binding line twist mechanism, numeral 502 designates abinding line feed mechanism, numeral 506 designates a circular arc shapenose, numeral 507 designates a twist motor, numeral 508 designates aslide motor, numeral 511 designates a ball screw shaft, numeral 513designates a binding line clamp apparatus, numeral 514 designates acenter clamp plate, numeral 5115 designates a right clamp plate, numeral516 designates a left clamp plate, numeral 517 designates a sleeve,numeral 523 designates a binding line guide groove, numeral 524designates a recess, numerals 525, 526 designate guide pins, numerals527, 528 designate cams, numerals 531, 532 designate pushers, numeral533 designates a compression coil spring, numeral 701 designates abinding line guide apparatus, numeral 702 designates a binding line cutapparatus, numeral 703 designates a binding line clamp apparatus,numeral 707 designates a sleeve, numeral 709 designates a shifter plate,numeral 710 designates guide plate cam, numeral 711 designates a slidecam plate, numeral 712 designates a shaft (guide plate), numeral 713designates a support frame, numeral 714 designates a nose, numeral 715designates a guide groove (nose), numeral 716 designates a formingportion (guide plate), numeral 717 designates a long hole (slide camplate) and numeral 718 designates a compression coil spring.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

A detailed description will be given of an embodiment of the inventionin reference to the drawings as follows. FIG. 1 through FIG. 3 showconstituent members of the binding line clamp apparatus 1 of areinforcing bar binder, numeral 2 designates the center clamp plate,numeral 3 designates the right clamp plate, numeral 4 designates theleft clamp plate and numeral 5 designates the sleeve outwardly fitted toa shaft portion of the center clamp plate.

A middle of the center clamp plate 2 is provided with a guide pin 6 in alongitudinal direction and the left and right clamp plates 3, 4 areopenably and closably integrated to the center clamp plate 2 by engagingslide guide grooves 7, 8 formed at inner side faces of the left andright clamp plates 3, 4 to the guide pin 6. The left and right clampplates 3, 4 are formed with grooves cams 9, 10 and the groove cams 9, 10are engaged with the guide pins 11, 12 of the sleeve 5. The grooves cams9, 10 are formed in a step-like shape moving front portions thereof toouter sides relative to rear portions thereof in parallel therewith andthere is constituted a structure in which when the sleeve 5 is movedforward relative to three pieces of the clamp plates 2, 3, 4, the leftand right clamp plates 3, 4 are moved in directions approaching eachother to thereby pinch the center clamp plate 2. Phases of the groovecams 9, 10 of the left and right cam plates are shifted from each other,when the sleeve is moved forward, first, the right clamp plate 3 (upperside in the drawing) is brought into contact with the center clamp plate2 and thereafter, the left clamp plate 4 is brought into contact withthe center clamp plate 2.

FIG. 4 illustrates a state of integrating three pieces of the clampplates 2, 3, 4 and the sleeve 5 and the ball screw shaft 13, the shaftportion of the center clamp plate 2 is rotatably connected to the ballscrew shaft 13 and a ball (not illustrated) attached to an innerperipheral face of the sleeve 5 is brought in mesh with the ball screwshaft 13. As shown by FIG. 4( b), a portion of an inner side face of theright clamp plate 3 (left one in FIG. 4( b)) above a middle portion inan up and down direction is constituted by an inclined face approachingin a center direction and is formed with the stopper portion 14projected from an upper end of the inclined face horizontally in thecenter direction. Further, symmetrically, a portion of an inner sideface of the left clamp plate 4 (right one in FIG. 4( b)) is constitutedby an inclined face approaching in the center direction.

In staring the reinforcing bar binder, a wire is fed out from a lowerside through an interval between the left clamp plate 4 and the centerclamp plate 2 by a binding line feed apparatus (not illustrated) and afront end of the wire W fed along a circular arc shape nose (notillustrated) and formed in a loop-like shape moves forward from a lowerside into an interval between the right clamp plate 3 and the centerclamp plate 2 and impinges on the stopper portion 14 of the right clampplate 3 to stop as shown by FIG. 4( b). Successively, a twist motor (notillustrated) is started to move forward the sleeve 5 by rotating theball screw shaft 13 in the clockwise direction in view from a side ofthe motor. Thereby, as shown by FIG. 5( b), the right clamp plate 3 isslid to the center direction to clamp the wire W and bends the front endof the wire W to the center direction by the upper inclined face.Further, when the sleeve moves further forward as shown by FIG. 6, theleft clamp plate 4 is slid in the center direction to clamp the wire Was shown by FIG. 6( b) and simultaneously bends a rear end of the wireloop in the center direction to enter a successive twisting step.

FIG. 7 shows a binding mechanism portion of the reinforcing bar binderand the ball screw shaft 13 is coupled with a hollow drive shaft 15 by aspline and is pushed down to a rear position by a compression coilspring 16 inserted to inside of the drive shaft 15. The drive shaft 15is driven to rotate by way of a twist motor and a reduction gearmechanism (not illustrated). A groove 17 in a peripheral directionformed at a rear end portion of the sleeve 5 is engaged with the shifterplate 18 and the binding line cut apparatus 19 arranged on the lowerside and the binding line guide apparatus 20 arranged on the upper sideare driven by the shifter plate 18 moving in a front and rear directionalong with the sleeve 5.

The binding line cut apparatus 19 is a rotary wire cutter forming a holetraversing an axis center of a pin 21 fixed to a front portion of aframe and forming holes having wide widths at two front and rear facesof a cylindrical sleeve 22 mounted to the pin 21 and a front lever 23attached with the cylindrical sleeve 22 and a rear lever 24 areconnected by a link 25. The binding line cut apparatus 19 is set to aninitial state of FIG. 7 by a spring (not illustrated) and at thisoccasion, the holes of the pin 21 and the cylindrical sleeve 22 coincidewith each other and the wire W is fed out through the hole of the pin21. When the sleeve 5 of the binding line clamp apparatus 1 is movedforward, the rear lever 24 of the binding line cut apparatus 19 ispushed forward by the shifter plate 18 and the cylindrical sleeve 22 atthe front portion is rotated in cooperation therewith to cut the wire Wat an outlet of the hole of the pin 21.

A binding line guide apparatus 20 is constructed by a constitution ofdriving a forming plate 26 pivotable in a lateral direction by a slidecam plate 27 and a shaft 28 of the forming plate 26 of a lever type isattached to a support frame 29. An inner peripheral face of the circulararc shape nose 30 is provided with a guide groove 31 in a peripheraldirection, a side face of a base portion thereof is partially notchedand a front end portion of the forming plate 26 is brought into thenotched portion. Further, the guide groove 31 may be constituted by ashape of capable of curling a binding line to guide and the shape can beconstituted also by a shape of connecting straight lines in steps or thelike and is not limited to the circular arc shape.

As shown by FIG. 8( a), a side face of a front end portion of theforming plate 26 is formed with a guide portion 32, since the guideportion 32 is brought into contact with the notched portion of thecircular arc shape nose 30 in the initial state shown in FIG. 7, thewire 7 is passed through an interval between the guide portion 32 andthe guide groove 31 of the circular arc shape nose 30 and is fed outalong the guide groove 31 and at this occasion, formed in the circulararc shape by the guide portion 32 and the guide groove 31.

A slide cam plate 27 is formed with a long hole 33 in a front and reardirection at a side face thereof and in the initial state, a rear endportion of the forming plate 26 is brought into contact with a planeportion on a front side of the long hole 33. A rear end portion of theslide cam plate 27 is engaged with the shifter plate 18 and the sleeve 5and the slide cam plate 27 are integrally slid in the front and reardirection. When the slide cam plate 27 is moved forward from an initialposition, as shown by FIG. 8( a), the rear end portion of the formingplate 26 falls into the long hole 33 of the slide cam plate 27 and theguide portion 32 at the front portion is separated from the circular arcshape nose 30. Further, when the slide cam plate 27 returns to theinitial position, the rear end portion of the forming plate 26 comes outfrom the long hole 33 and the guide portion 32 at the front portion isbrought into contact with the notched portion of the circular arc shapenose.

Next, an explanation will be given of operation of the reinforcing barbinder. FIG. 7 shows a state of feeding out the wire W from the initialstate by a binding line feed apparatus and forming a wire loopsurrounding the surrounding of a reinforcing bar S and as shown by FIG.4, the front end of the wire W impinges on the stopper portion 14 of theright clamp plate 3 to stop.

Successively, the ball screw shaft 13 is driven to rotate regularly, asshown by FIG. 8, the sleeve 5 of the binding line clamp apparatus 1 ismoved forward and as shown by FIG. 5, the right clamp plate 3 is closedto clamp the front end of the wire W. Simultaneously therewith, theforming plate 26 of the binding line guide apparatus 20 is opened, thebinding line feed apparatus is driven to rotate reversely and the wire Wis pulled back to be wound around the reinforcing bar S.

Further, as shown by FIG. 9 and FIG. 6, the left clamp plate 4 is closedto clamp the rear end of the wire loop, as shown by FIG. 10, the sleeve5 is moved further forward to push the rear lever 24 of the binding linecut apparatus 19 and the cylindrical sleeve 22 at the front portion isrotated to cut the wire W. Further, by moving forward the sleeve 5, arotation stopping fin 35 provided at the rear end of the sleeve 5 isdetached from a stopper (not illustrated) of the frame and a total ofthe binding line clamp apparatus is started to rotate to twist the wireW. At this occasion, tension of the wire W is increased in accordancewith progress of twisting and the wire W is slid among the clamp platesby constituting fulcra by end portions thereof bent by the left andright clamp plates 3, 4 and is twisted in the form of being extractedfrom the center of the front face of the binding line clamp apparatus 1in the up and down direction.

FIG. 11 shows a state of finishing to twist and the twist motor isstopped to drive by detecting an increase in a load of rotating thetwist motor by a current detecting circuit. Although a length of a twistmargin of the wire W is varied depending on a diameter of thereinforcing bar, when the twist margin is short, as shown by FIG. 12,the ball screw shaft 13 and the binding line clamp apparatus 1 are movedforward by compressing the compression coil spring 16 at inside of thedrive shaft 15 and the wire is prevented from being cut by limiting thetension in accordance with the length of the wire.

Further, after finishing to twist, the twist motor is driven to rotatereversely, as shown by FIG. 13, the binding line clamp apparatus 1returns to the initial position, the left and right clamp plates 3, 4are opened to release the wire W and also the binding line cut apparatus19 and the binding guide apparatus 20 return to the initial state.Further, although an explanation has been given by taking an example ofthe wire as the biding line, a wire other than the metal wire may beused.

FIG. 14 through FIG. 17 show other embodiment of the binding line clampapparatus and contrary to the above-described binding line clampapparatus 1, groove cams 42, 43 are formed at a sleeve 41, guide pins46, 47 are provided at left and right clamp plates 44, 45 and the leftand right clamp plates 44, 45 are constituted to close when the sleeve41 is moved rearward. Further, also in FIG. 17, the left and right clampplates 44, 45 are constituted to close when the sleeve 41 is movedrearward from a front initial position. In any embodiment, the operationstays the same as that of the prior binding line clamp apparatus.

An inner side face of the right clamp plate 44 is formed with a bindingline guide groove 48 constituting a path of feeding out the binding lineand an inner side face of the left cam plate 45 is formed with a recess49 (recess portion) reaching a vicinity of an upper end thereof from alower end thereof. The binding line is fed in a state of slightlyopening and left and right clamp plates 44, 45, the binding line is fedout to the circular arc shape nose 6 of the reinforcing bar binder bypassing the binding line guide groove 48 of the right clamp plate 44 andthe front end of the binding line moves forward from the lower side intothe recess 49 of the left cam plate 45 and impinges on a ceiling face 50(stopper portion) at the upper end of the recess 49 to stop.

Further, FIG. 17 shows other embodiment of the slide mechanism formoving the binding line clamp apparatus 1 in the front and reardirection and a middle portion of the ball screw shaft 13 is attachedwith a shifter disk 51 rotatable relative to the ball screw shaft 13. Aball screw shaft 54 of a slide motor 53 arranged in parallel with atwist motor 52 is fitted with a ball holding ring 52 and the ballholding ring 55 is coupled with the shifter disk 51. Therefore, the ballscrew shaft 13 of the binding line twist mechanism and the binding lineclamp apparatus 1 are moved in the front and rear direction inaccordance with a direction of rotating the slide motor 53 and similarto the embodiment explained above, after grasping the binding line, thebinding line clamp apparatus 1 is moved rearward from the front initialposition to cut the wire and to apply tension to the wire loop. Further,when a drive current reaches a prescribed upper limit value byincreasing the load of driving the slide motor 53, the slide motor 53 isstopped to enter a twisting step. Further, although illustration isomitted, there may be constructed a constitution of mounting positiondetecting means of an optical type position detecting sensor or the likeby a photointerrupter and a slit plate to the shifter disk 51 or theball holding ring 55 or the like on the side of the slide motor 53 orthe like and controlling to drive the slide motor 53 by detecting aposition of the binding line clamp apparatus 1 in the front and reardirection by the position detecting means.

Further, the invention is not limited to the above-described embodimentsand although an explanation has been given by taking an example of thewire as the binding line, a wire other than the metal wire may be used.Further, the invention can variously be modified within the technicalrange of the invention and the invention naturally covers modifiedembodiments thereof.

Next, a detailed description will be given of other embodiment accordingto the binding line clamp apparatus of the reinforcing bar binder of theinvention in reference to the drawings as follows. FIG. 18 shows thebinding line twist mechanism 501 and the binding line feed mechanism 502of the reinforcing bar binder, which are included in a casing (notillustrated) having a grip similar to a hand-held tool of a nailingmachine or the like. The wire wound around a wire reel (not illustrated)is supplied to the circular arc shape nose 506 by passing a binding lineguide hole 505 of a cutter block 504 provided at a nose portion 503. Thebinding line twist mechanism 501 includes two motors of the twist motor507 and the slide motor 508 and the twist motor 507 drives a final gear510 via a reduction gear 509. A center hole of the final gear 510 isfitted with the ball screw shaft 511 by a spline and a front end of theball screw shaft 511 is coupled with the binding line clamp apparatus513.

FIG. 19 through FIG. 21 show the binding line clamp apparatus 513,numeral 514 designates the center clamp plate coupled to front end ofthe ball screw shaft 511, numeral 515 designates the right clamp plate,numeral 516 designates the left clamp plate and numeral 517 designatesthe sleeve. The right clamp plate 515 and the left clamp plate 516 areformed with arm portions 518, 519 bent in right angle from rear portionsthereof to inner sides thereof, guide grooves 520, 521 are engaged witha guide pin 522 of the center clamp plate 514, and three the clampplates 514, 515, 516 are integrated in a state of overlapping the leftand right arm portions 518, 519.

As shown by FIG. 21, an inner side face of the right clamp plate 515 isformed with a binding line guide groove 523 constituting a path offeeding out the binding line, an inner side face of the left clamp plate516 is formed with a recess 524 in a channel-like shape reaching avicinity of an upper end thereof from a lower end thereof, the wire fedout to the circular arc shape nose 506 by passing the guide groove 523of the right clamp plate 515 is formed in a loop shape and a front endthereof is introduced from the lower side to the recess 528 of therecess 528 of the left clamp plate 516 and impinges on a ceiling portionof the recess 524 to stop.

An upper face of a rear portion of the right clamp plate 515 and a lowerface of a rear portion of the left clamp plate 516 are respectivelyprovided with the guide pins 525, 526. As shown by FIG. 19, the sleeve517 holding three clamp plates 514, 515, 516 is formed with cams 527,528 in correspondence with the guide pins 525, 526 of the left and rightclamp plates 515, 516 and pusher guide pins 529, 530 projected from twoleft and right wall faces thereof in the center direction. The cams 527,528 are not constituted by groove cams of an assuredly moving typepinching two side faces of the guide pins but are constituted by camsbrought into contact with inner side faces of the guide pins 525, 526and intervals of the left and right cams are narrowed at a front portionof the sleeve 517 and expanded at a rear portion thereof.

Numerals 531, 532 designate pushers attached to inside of the sleeve517, compression coil springs 533 are inserted into spring receive holeson two left and right sides of the back faces thereof, pin holes atcenters of the back faces of the pushers 531, 532 are engaged with thepusher guide pins 529, 530 and three clamp plates 514, 515, 516 areintegrated into the sleeve 517 from the front side of the sleeve 517.The left and right cam plates 515, 516 are respectively brought intoelastic contact with the cams 527, 528 by being pushed by the pushers531, 532.

FIG. 22( a) through FIG. 22( c) show a state of an initial position atwhich the sleeve 517 is moved forward to three clamp plates 514, 515,516, the guide pins 525, 526 of the left and right clamp plates 515, 516are disposed at rear portions of the cams 527, 528 and the left andright clamp plates 515, 516 are separated from the center clamp plate514 by pushing down the pushers 531, 532 to outer sides. As shown byFIG. 23( a) through FIG. 23( c), when the sleeve 517 is moved rearwardfrom the front initial position, by narrowing an interval between thecams 527, 528 with which the guide pins 525, 526 of the left and rightclamp plates 515, 516 are brought into contact, the left and right clampplates 515, 516 approach each other by being pushed by the pushers 531,532 and finally pinch the center clamp plate 514. A force of clampingthe left and right clamp plates 515, 516 is constituted by spring forcesof the two compression coil springs 533 and when a force equal to ormore than the spring forces of the compression coil springs 533 isexerted to faces on inner sides of the clamp plates 515, 516, the leftand right clamp plates 515, 516 are moved rearward to outer sides.

As shown by FIG. 18, the sleeve 517 is fitted to the ball screw shaft511 and a ball holding ring 534 having a rotation stopping fin 534 a isfitted to a rear end of the sleeve 517. When the twist motor 507 isrotated in the regular direction, the sleeve 517 is moved rearward byrotating the ball screw shaft 511. At a frontmost position constitutingthe initial position, the rotation stopping fin 534 a of the ballholding ring 534 is engaged with a rotation stopping claw (notillustrated) provided at the casing to thereby bring the binding lineclamp apparatus 513 in an unrotatable state.

The middle portion of the ball screw shaft 511 is attached with theshifter disk 535 rotatable relative to the ball screw shaft 511. Theshifter disk 535 is connected to the ball holding ring 537 fitted to theball screw shaft 536 of the slide motor 508 and the ball screw 511 andthe binding line clamp apparatus 513 of the binding line twist mechanism501 are moved in the front and rear direction in accordance with thedirection of rotating the slide motor 501.

As shown by FIG. 24, the binding line feed mechanism 502 is constitutedby two pieces of drive gears with V-grooves 538, 539 arrangedfrontwardly and rearwardly along a direction of moving forward the wireW and two pieces of driven gears with V-grooves 540, 541 brought in meshwith the drive gears with V-grooves 538, 539 and two pieces of the drivegears with V-grooves 538, 539 are transmitted with power from a feedmotor 542 shown in FIG. 18 via a reduction gear train 543 and the wireis pinched to feed out by the drive gears with V-grooves 538, 539 andthe driven gears with V-grooves 540, 541.

Next, an explanation will be given of operation of the binding lineclamp apparatus 513. FIG. 25( a) and FIG. 25( b) show the initial stateand when a trigger is pulled from the state, the twist motor 507 isrotated in the regular direction by a predetermined rotational numberand as shown by FIG. 26( a) and FIG. 26( b), the sleeve 517 is movedrearward and the interval between the left and right clamp plates 515,516 is narrowed, however, the left and right clamp plates 515, 516 arenot brought into close contact with the center clamp plate 514 yet.

Successively, the feed motor 542 of the binding line feed mechanism 502is started and the wire W reeled out to the circular arc shape nose 506by passing the binding line guide groove 523 of the right clamp plate515 by rotating two front and rear pairs of the drive gears withV-grooves 538, 539 and driven gears with V-grooves 540, 541 is bent inthe loop shape along the shape of the guide groove at the innerperiphery of the circular arc shape nose 506, passes around thesurrounding of the reinforcing bar S and the front end of the wire Wmoves forward from the opening of the lower face of the clamp plate 516into the recess 524 and impinges on the ceiling portion of the recess524 to stop. The amount of feeding the wire W is controlled by a controlapparatus (not illustrated).

After stopping the feed motor 542, the twist motor 507 of the bindingline twist mechanism 501 is started, as shown by FIG. 27( a) and FIG.27( b), the sleeve 517 is moved further rearward, the left clamp plate516 is brought into contact with the center clamp plate 514 to pinch thefront end of the wire W, the wire W is pulled back by reversely drivingto rotate the feed motor 542 and the wire W is wound around thereinforcing bar S.

Successively, as shown by FIG. 28( a) and FIG. 28( b), the sleeve 517 ismoved further rearward, also the right clamp plate 515 is closed topinch the wire W solidly, the slide motor 508 is regularly driven torotate and as shown by FIG. 29( a) and FIG. 29( b), the binding lineclamp apparatus 513 is moved rearward. By moving the wire W grasped bythe binding line clamp apparatus 513 in parallel relative to the bindingline guide hole 505 of the cutter block 504, a rear end portion of thewire W wound around the reinforcing bar S is sheared. At this occasion,the wire W grasped by the binding line clamp apparatus 513 is pulled bythe reinforcing bar S, the wire is slid among the clamp plates 514, 515,516 of a spring pressure type and is pulled out from the center in theup and down direction of the front face of the binding line clampapparatus 513 to produce an allowance of constituting a twist margin atthe binding line loop.

Successively, the twist motor 507 is regularly driven to rotate, sincethe rotation stopping fin 534 a of the ball holding ring 534 movedrearward from the initial position is detached from the rotationstopping claw of the casing, as shown by FIG. 30( a) and FIG. 30( b),the wire W is twisted by rotating the binding line clamp apparatus 513.FIG. 31( a) and FIG. 31( b) show a state of finishing to twist, sincethe front end the rear end of the binding line loop are clamped to twistand therefore, lengths of extra portions extended from the knot portionof the wire are short and finish is beautiful.

Successively, by moving forward the sleeve 517 by reversely rotating thetwist motor 507, as shown by FIG. 32( a) and FIG. 32( b), the clampplates 515, 516 are opened to release the grasped wire W and thereafter,the binding line clamp apparatus 513 is returned to the initial positionshown by FIG. 25( a) and FIG. 25( b) by controlling the twist motor 507and the slide motor 508 to thereby finish binding operation of 1 cycle.

Further, although according to the above-described embodiment, thesleeve 517 is formed with the cams 527, 528 and the left and right clampplates 515, 516 are provided with the guide pins 525, 526, contrarythereto, there may be constructed a constitution of forming the cams atthe sleeve 517 and providing the guide pins at the left and right clampplates 515, 516. Further, although an explanation has been given bytaking an example of the wire as the binding line, a wire other than themetal wire may be used.

Further, the invention is not limited to the above-described embodimentbut can variously be modified within the technical range of theinvention and the invention naturally covers modified embodimentsthereof.

Next, a detailed explanation will be given of other embodiment accordingto the reinforcing bar binder of the invention in reference to thedrawings. FIG. 33( a) and FIG. 33( b) show a binding mechanism portionof the reinforcing bar binder, numeral 701 designates the binding lineguide apparatus and numeral 702 designates the binding cut apparatus.Numeral 703 designates the binding line clamp apparatus, a ball screwshaft 704 of the binding line clamp apparatus 703 is coupled to a driveshaft 705 driven to rotate by way of a twist motor and a reduction gearmechanism (not illustrated) by a spline and is pushed down to a rearposition by a compression coil spring 706 inserted into the drive shaft705. A groove 708 in a peripheral direction formed at a rear end portionof the sleeve 707 of the binding line clamp apparatus 703 is engagedwith the shifter plate 709 and by the shifter plate 709 moved in thefront and rear direction along with the sleeve 707, the binding lineguide apparatus 701 arranged on the upper side and the binding line cutapparatus 702 arranged on the lower side are driven.

The binding line guide apparatus 701 is constituted to drive the guideplate 710 pivotable in the lateral direction by the slide cam plate 711and the shaft 712 of the guide plate 710 in a lever shape is attached tothe support frame 713. An inner peripheral face of the nose 714 isprovided with the guide groove 715 in the peripheral direction, a sideface of a base portion of the nose 714 is partially notched and a frontend portion of the guide plate 710 is fitted to the notched portion.

As shown by FIG. 34( a), a side face of a front end portion of the guideplate 710 is formed with the forming portion 716 with which the bindingline is brought into contact and in the initial state shown by FIG. 33(a) and FIG. 33( b), the forming portion 716 is brought into contact withthe notched portion of the nose 714 and therefore, the wire W is passedthrough an interval between the forming portion 716 and the guide groove715 of the nose 714, fed out along the guide groove 716, bent by theforming-portion 716 at this occasion and formed in the circular arcshape.

A side face of the slide cam plate 711 is formed with the long hole 717in the front and rear direction and at the initial state, a rear endportion of the guide plate 710 is brought into contact with a planeportion frontward from the long hole 717. A rear end portion of theslide cam plate 711 is engaged with the shifter plate 709 and the sleeve707 and the slide cam plate 711 are slid integrally in the front andrear direction. When the slide cam plate is moved forward from theinitial position, as shown by FIG. 34( a), the rear end portion of theguide plate 710 falls into the long hole 717 of the slide cam plate 711by being urged by a compression coil spring 718 and the forming portionat the front portion is separated from the nose 714. Further, when theslide cam plate 711 returns to the initial position, the rear endportion of the guide plate 710 comes out from the long hole 717 and theforming portion 716 at the front portion is brought into contact withthe notched portion of the nose 714.

The binding line cut apparatus 2 of FIG. 33( a) and FIG. 33( b) is arotary wire cutter forming a hole traversing an axis center of the pin720 fixed at the front portion of the frame 719 and forming holes havingwide widths at two front and rear faces of the cylindrical sleeve 721mounted to the pin 720 and a front lever 722 attached with thecylindrical sleeve 721 and the rear lever 723 are connected by a link724. The binding line cut apparatus 702 is set to the initial state ofthe FIG. 33( a) and FIG. 33( b) by a spring (not illustrated) and atthis occasion, the holes of the pin 720 and the cylindrical sleeve 721coincide with each other and the wire W is fed out by passing the holeof the pin 702. When the sleeve 707 of the binding line clamp apparatus703 is moved forward, the rear lever 723 of the binding line cutapparatus 702 is pushed forward by the shifter plate 709, thecylindrical sleeve 721 at the front portion is rotated in cooperationtherewith and the wire W is cut at an outlet of the hole of the pin 720.

FIG. 35 through FIG. 37 show constituent members of the binding lineclamp apparatus 303, numeral 725 designates a center clamp plate,numeral 736 designates a right clamp plate, numeral 727 designates aleft clamp plate and the sleeve 707 is outwardly mounted to a shaftportion of the center clamp plate 725. A middle portion of the centerclamp plate 725 is provided with a guide pin 728 in a longitudinaldirection, side guide grooves 729, 730 formed at inner side faces of theleft and right clamp plates 726, 727 are engaged with the guide pin 728and the left and right clamp plates 726, 727 are openably and closablyintegrated to the center clamp plate 725. The left and right clampplates 726 and 727 are formed with groove cams 731, 732 and the groovecams 731, 732 are engaged with the guide pins 733, 734 of the sleeve 7.The groove cams 731, 732 are constituted by a step-like shape movingfront portions thereof to outer sides relative to rear portions thereofin parallel and there is constituted a structure in which when thesleeve 707 is moved forward relative to three pieces of the clamp plates725, 726, 727, the left and right clamp plates 726, 727 are moved indirections of approaching each other to pinch the center clamp plate725. Phases of the groove cams 731, 732 of the left and right clampplates 725, 727 are shifted from each other, when moving forward thesleeve 707, first, the right clamp plate 726 is brought into contactwith the center clamp plate and thereafter, the left clamp plate isbrought into contact with the center clamp plate 725.

FIG. 38( a) through FIG. 38( c) show a state of integrating three piecesof the clamp plates 725, 726 and 727 and the sleeve 707 and the ballscrew shaft 704, the shaft portion of the center clamp plate 725 isrotatably connected to the ball screw shaft 704 and a ball (notillustrated) attached to an inner peripheral face of the sleeve 707 isbrought in mesh with the ball screw shaft 704. As shown by FIG. 38( b),a portion of an inner side face of the right clam plate 726 (left upperone in FIG. 38( b)) above a middle portion in the up and down directionis constituted by an inclined face approaching in the center directionand formed with a stopper portion 725 projected from an upper end of theinclined face horizontally to the center direction. Further,symmetrically, a portion of an inner face of the left clamp plate 727(left lower one in FIG. 38( b)) from a middle portion in the up and downdirection is constituted by an inclined face approaching in the centerdirection.

In starting the reinforcing bar binder, the wire is fed out from thelower side through an interval between the left clamp plate 727 and thecenter clamp plate 725 by a binding line feed apparatus (notillustrated) and the front end of the wire W fed along a nose (notillustrated) and formed in a loop shape moves forward from the lowerside through an interval between the right clamp plate 726 and thecenter clamp plate 725 and impinges on the stopper portion 735 of theright clamp plate 726 as shown by FIG. 38( b) to stop. Successively, atwist motor (not illustrated) is started to move forward the sleeve 707by rotating the ball screw shaft 704 in the counterclockwise directionin view from a side of the motor. Thereby, as shown by FIG. 39( b), theright clamp plate 726 is slid in the center direction to clamp the wireW and the front end of the wire W is bent in the center direction by theupper inclined face of the right clamp plate 726. Further, as shown byFIG. 40( a) through FIG. 40( c), when the sleeve 707 moves forward inthe center direction, as shown by FIG. 40( b), the left clamp plate 727is slid in the center direction to clamp the wire W and the rear end ofthe wire loop is simultaneously bent in the center direction by thelower inclined face to enter a successive twisting step.

Next, an explanation will be given of operation of the reinforcing barbinder. FIG. 33( a) through FIG. 33( b) show a state of feeding out thewire W from the initial state by the binding line feed apparatus andforming the wire loop surrounding the surrounding of the reinforcing barS and as shown by FIG. 38( b), the front end of the wire W impinges onthe stopper portion 735 of the right clamp plate 726 to stop.

Successively, the ball screw shaft 704 is regularly driven to rotate, asshown by FIG. 34( a) and FIG. 34( b), the sleeve 704 of the binding lineclamp apparatus 703 is moved forward and clamps the front end of thewire W by closing the right clamp plate 726 as shown by FIG. 39( b).Simultaneously therewith, the guide plate 710 of the binding line guideapparatus 701 is escaped in the lateral direction by leaving the nose714, the wire W is released from being restrained, the wire W is pulledback by reversely driving to rotate the biding line feed apparatus andthe wire W is wound around the reinforcing bar S.

Further, as shown by FIG. 40( a) through FIG. 40( c) and FIG. 41( a) andFIG. 41( b), the left clamp plate 727 is closed to clamp the rear end ofthe wire loop and as shown by FIG. 42( a) and FIG. 42( b), the sleeve707 is moved further forward to push the rear lever 723 of the bindingline cut apparatus 702 to rotate the cylindrical sleeve 721 at the frontportion to cut the wire W. Further, by moving forward the sleeve 707,the rotation stopping pin 707 a provided at the rear end of the sleeve707 is detached from a stopper (not illustrated) of a frame 719 and atotal of the binding line clamp apparatus 703 is started to rotate totwist the wire W. At this occasion, tension of the wire W is increasedin accordance with progress of twisting and the wire W is slid among theclamp plates 725, 726, 727 by constituting fulcra by end portionsthereof bent by the left and right clamp plates 726, 727 and is pulledout from the center in the up and down direction of the front face ofthe binding line clamp apparatus 703 to twist.

FIGS. 43( a) and 43(b) show a state of finishing to twist and the twistmotor is stopped to drive by detecting an increase in the load ofrotating the twist motor by a current detecting circuit. Although alength of a twist margin of the wire W is varied by large or small ofthe diameter of the reinforcing bar S, elongation of the binding line orthe like, when the twist margin is short, as shown by FIG. 44( a) andFIG. 44( b), the ball screw shaft 704 and the binding line clampapparatus 703 are moved forward by compressing the compression coilspring 706 at inside of the drive shaft 705 and the wire is preventedfrom being cut by limiting the tension in accordance with the length ofthe wire.

Further, after finishing to twist, the twist motor is reversely drivento rotate and the as shown by FIG. 45( a) and FIG. 45( b), the bindingline guide apparatus 701, the binding line cut apparatus 702 and thebinding line clamp apparatus 703 return to initial positions and theleft and right clamp plates 726, 727 are opened to release the wire W.

Further, the invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment,although in the above-described embodiment, the guide plate 710 of thebinding line guide apparatus 701 is constituted to pivot by constitutingthe fulcrum by the shaft 712, there may be constructed a constitution inwhich the guide plate 710 is mounted to a slide guide in the lateraldirection and is moved by the slide cam plate 711 in parallel therewith.Further, there may be constructed a constitution of moving the guideplate 710 by using an actuator or the like in place of the cammechanism, there may be constituted a type of moving the guide plate bydetecting an amount of feeding the wire by various sensors or the like,the invention can be modified variously within the technical range ofthe invention and the invention naturally covers modified embodimentsthereof.

The application is based on Japanese Patent Application (Japanese PatentApplication No. 2001-225202) filed on Jul. 25, 2001, Japanese PatentApplication (Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-230654) filed on Jul.30, 2001, Japanese Patent Application (Japanese Patent Application No.2001-230666) filed on Jul. 30, 2001, Japanese Patent Application(Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-230672) filed on Jul. 30, 2001 andJapanese Patent Application (Japanese Patent Application No.2001-250911) filed on Aug. 21, 2001 and contents thereof areincorporated here by reference.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

As has been explained above, the reinforcing bar binder of the inventionis constituted to pinch the front and the rear end of the binding lineloop by the clamp plates to twist in place of the constitution of theprior art hanging the hooks to the binding line loop to twist andtherefore, extra projected portions of the binding line after twistingare hardly present and finish is promoted.

Further, by constituting to twist the binding line by corresponding theloop length of the binding line to the diameter of the reinforcing barby pulling back the binding line after forming the binding loop, a timeperiod required for twisting is shortened, performance of bringing thereinforcing bar and the binding line into close contact with each otheris improved to stabilize the binding strength and also an amount ofconsuming the binding line is reduced.

Further, by forming the inclined face portions or the projected portionswhich are brought into contact with the upper end face or the lower endface of the center clamp plate in clamping at the left and right clampplates, in clamping the binding line, the both end portions of thebinding line can be bent to deform to clamp solidly.

Further, the binding line clamp line apparatus of the reinforcing barbinder of the invention is constituted to pinch the front end and therear end of the binding line loop by the clamp plate to twist in placeof the constitution of the prior art hanging the hooks to the bindingline loop to twist and therefore, extra projected portions of thebinding line after twisting are hardly present, finish is promoted andalso the amount of consuming the binding line is reduced.

Further, the binding line clamp apparatus of the reinforcing bar binderof the invention is constituted to pinch the binding line by the clampplate to twist in place of the constitution of the prior art hanging thehooks to the binding line loop to twist, the front end of the bindingline moved between the clamp plates impinges on the stopper portionformed at the clamp plate to stop and therefore, the front end and therear end of the binding line loop can be pinched to twist, extraprojected portions of the binding line after twisting are hardlypresent, finish is promoted and also the amount of consuming the bindingline is reduced.

Further, the binding line clamp apparatus of the reinforcing bar binderof the invention is constituted to pinch the front end and the rear endof the binding line loop by the clamp plate to twist in place of theconstitution of the prior art hanging the hooks to the binding line loopto twist and therefore, extra projected portions of the binding lineafter twisting are hardly present, finish is promoted and also theamount of consuming the binding line is reduced.

Further, the binding line is clamped by spring pressure and therefore,the clamp pressure stays to be substantially constant regardless of thewire diameter of the binding line, the grasping force is stabilized, thebinding line is slid among the clamp plates in accordance with a tensilestress and a torsional stress of the binding line and therefore, thebinding line is not excessively applied with the load and a concern ofaccidentally cutting the binding line is also resolved.

Further, according to the reinforcing bar binder of the invention, theguide plate firmly forms the binding line in the loop shape bysupporting the inner peripheral side of the binding line in the step offeeding out the binding line, the guide plate is constituted to escapefrom the path of the binding line after feeding out the binding line,thereby, the twisting operation can be carried out pertinently andexcellently without being hindered by the forming portion. Further, thebinding line cut apparatus can be arranged at a pertinent positionregardless of the position of the forming portion and can be arrangedimmediately before the binding line grasp mechanism. Thereby, both endsof the free end of the cut binding line and the free end of the bindingline loop previously fed can be grasped to twist, further, the bindingline can be wound around the reinforcing bar by 1 turn to bind andtherefore, in comparison with the constitution of the prior art bindingthe binding line by 2 turns or more, the amount of consuming the bindingline is considerably reduced and an outlook thereof is also excellent.

Further, after feeding the binding line, the binding line is pulled backby escaping the binding line feed plate from the path of the bindingline, the binding line can be brought into close contact with thereinforcing bar without being hindered by the forming portion, thelength of the binding line is adjusted in accordance with the boldnessof the reinforcing bar and when the twisting operation is carried outthereafter, the extra portion of the binding line can be eliminated, theamount of consuming the binding line can further be reduced andexcellent binding finish can be achieved.

1. A binding line clamp apparatus, for a reinforcing bar binder thatgrasps and twists a loop of binding line fed out by a binding linemechanism to a surrounding of a reinforcing bar, comprising: a centerclamp plate; a right clamp plate arranged on a right side of the centerclamp plate; a left clamp plate arranged on a left side of the centerclamp plate; a sleeve outwardly mounted to the center clamp plate, theright clamp plate and the left clamp plate; and a pair of cam mechanismsincluding cams and guide pins, and provided to respective of the sleeveand the right clamp plate and the sleeve and the left clamp plate;wherein the right clamp plate and the left clamp plate are opened andclosed in accordance with movement of the sleeve in a front and reardirection, and the binding line is fed out by passing through one of aninterval between the right clamp plate and the center clamp plate and aninterval between the left clamp plate and the center clamp plate, by thebinding line feed mechanism, and after introducing a front end of thebinding line formed in a shape of a loop through the other of theinterval between the right clamp plate and the center clamp plate andthe interval between the left clamp plate and the center clamp plate,the binding line is grasped by closing the right clamp plate and theleft clamp plate.
 2. The binding line clamp apparatus according to claim1, wherein the right clamp plate is brought into elastic contact withthe center clamp plate by a first spring, and the left clamp plate isbrought into elastic contact with the center clamp by a second spring.3. The binding line clamp apparatus according to claim 1, wherein thebinding line feed mechanism feeds out the binding line passing throughone of the interval between the right clamp plate and the center clampplate and the interval between the left clamp plate and the center clampplate to a guide groove formed at a nose of the reinforcing bar binder.4. The binding line clamp apparatus according to claim 3, wherein thenose of the reinforcing bar binder is constituted by a circular arcshape.
 5. The binding line clamp apparatus according to claim 1, whereinthe cams of the cam mechanism are constituted by groove cams.
 6. Thebinding line clamp apparatus according to claim 1, wherein therespective of the sleeve and the right clamp plate and the sleeve andthe left clamp plate are connected by the cam mechanisms.
 7. The bindingclamp apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cams of the pair ofcam mechanisms are respectively formed at at least one of the sleeve andthe right clamp plate and the sleeve and the left clamp plate, andwherein phases of the pair of cams are shifted from each other, andafter grasping the front end of the loop of the binding line by the oneof the right clamp plate and the left clamp plate, the other of theright clamp plate and the left clamp plate grasps a rear end of the loopof the binding line.
 8. The binding line clamp apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein a stopper portion projected in a center direction isformed on an upper portion of a face of grasping the binding line of theright clamp plate and the left clamp plate, and the front end of thebinding line impinges on the stopper portion to stop.
 9. The bindingline clamp apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a guide groove of thebinding line is formed on a face of grasping the binding line of one ofthe right clamp plate and the left clamp plate constituting a side offeeding out the binding line.
 10. A reinforcing bar comprising: abinding line feed mechanism that feeds out a binding line in a shape ofa loop to wind around a reinforcing bar; a grasping portion that graspsthe binding line wound around the reinforcing bar, and includes a centerclamp plate, a right clamp plate arranged on a right side of the centerclamp plate, and a left clamp plate arranged on a left side of thecenter clamp plate; right and left cams to move the right and left clampplates, wherein phases of the right and left cams are shifted from eachother; a binding line twist mechanism that twists the binding line tobind the reinforcing bar by driving to rotate the grasping portion;wherein the right clamp plate and the left clamp plate are arranged toopen and close linearly relative to the center plate; and wherein thebinding line fed out by the binding line feed mechanism is passedthrough one of an interval between the right clamp plate and the centerclamp plate and an interval between the left clamp plate and the centerclamp plate, and wherein the right clamp plate and the left clamp plateare closed to grasp the loop of the binding line fed out thereby, aftera front end of a loop of binding line is introduced into the otherinterval.
 11. The reinforcing bar binder according to claim 10, whereinafter grasping a front end of the loop of the binding line by closingthe one of the right clamp plate and the left clamp plate constituting aside of grasping the front end of the loop of the binding line, thebinding line is pulled back by reversely driving to rotate the bindingline feed mechanism, and a length of the loop of the binding line isadjusted in accordance with a diameter of the reinforcing bar.
 12. Thereinforcing bar binder according to claim 10, wherein one of an inclinedface portion and a projected portion, that is brought into contact withan upper end face or a lower end face of the center clamp plate when thebinding line is clamped, is formed on one of the right clamp plate andthe left clamp plate, and wherein when the binding line is clamped, thebinding line is bent and deformed.
 13. A reinforcing bar bindercomprising: a nose including a guide groove at an inner peripherythereof; a feed mechanism that feeds out a binding line along the guidegroove to wind around a reinforcing bar; a grasp mechanism that graspsthe binding line wound around the reinforcing bar; a twist mechanismthat twists the binding line to bind the reinforcing bar by driving torotate the grasp mechanism; a guide plate that contacts with the bindingline fed along the guide groove by the feed mechanism, and curls thebinding line; and a shaft, wherein the guide plate is pivotable aroundthe shaft so as to move between the position opposed to the guide grooveand the position separated from the guide groove, wherein the guideplate is formed movably to a position opposed to the guide groove and aposition separated from the guide groove; and wherein the nose does notfully enclose the reinforcing bar during operation of the reinforcingbar binder.
 14. The reinforcing bar binder according to claim 13,wherein in a step of feeding out the binding line, the guide plate isopposed to the guide groove, and curls the binding line brought intocontact with the guide plate, and after the step of feeding out thebinding line, the guide plate is moved to the position separated fromthe guide groove, the binding line is pulled back by reversely drivingto rotate the feed mechanism, and a length of the binding line iscontrolled in accordance with a diameter of the reinforcing bar.
 15. Areinforcing bar binder comprising, a nose including a guide groove at aninner periphery thereof; a feed mechanism that feeds out a binding linealong the guide groove to wind around a reinforcing bar; a graspmechanism that grasps the binding line wound around the reinforcing bar;a twist mechanism that twists the binding line to bind the reinforcingbar by driving to rotate the grasp mechanism; a guide plate thatcontacts with the binding line fed along the guide groove by the feedmechanism, and curls the binding line; a slide cam plate that drives theguide plate; and a sleeve that drives the grasp mechanism and the twistmechanism, wherein the slide cam plate moves integrally with the sleeve,wherein the guide plate is formed movably to a position opposed to theguide groove and a position separated from the guide groove; and whereinthe nose does not fully enclose the reinforcing bar during operation ofthe reinforcing bar binder.